InvestSMART Robo Advice vs Spaceship Voyager
The biggest difference between these two is access: InvestSMART is a full managed-funds platform for serious investors with $10,000 to start, while Spaceship Voyager is a low-cost, no-minimum robo for beginners and younger savers. InvestSMART gives you SMSF, trust and joint accounts plus bonds; Spaceship offers US ETFs with fractional shares and zero brokerage but holds everything in a custodian model.
- ›You want CHESS sponsorship and to hold investments directly in your own HIN
- ›You need SMSF, trust, company or joint account structures
- ›You want access to bonds and managed funds alongside Australian ETFs
- ›You're investing $10,000 or more and want a flat $880/year fee regardless of balance growth
- ›You value extensive education content and free research reports
- ›You want to start investing with no minimum deposit — even $1 gets you in
- ›You want US ETFs and fractional shares exposure without dealing with FX spreads on every trade
- ›You prefer a simple custodian model with zero brokerage and a flat $3/month fee
- ›You want faster withdrawals (1-2 business days) compared to InvestSMART's 4-5 days
- ›You're comfortable with an app-only experience — there's no desktop platform
Where they differ
| Fact | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum deposit | $10,000 | $0 |
| Annual fee | $880/year flat | $36/year ($3/month) |
| CHESS sponsorship | Yes (CHESS) | No (custodian) |
| US ETFs & fractional shares | Not supported | Supported |
| Account types | Individual, joint, company, trust, SMSF | Individual only |
Choose InvestSMART if you have $10k+ and want CHESS ownership; choose Spaceship if you're starting small and want cheap US exposure.
Common questions
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Spaceship Voyager compare on minimum deposit?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: $10,000. Spaceship Voyager: $0. InvestSMART has a high barrier to entry; Spaceship has none.
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Spaceship Voyager compare on annual fee?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: $880/year flat. Spaceship Voyager: $36/year ($3/month). Spaceship is dramatically cheaper for smaller balances.
How do InvestSMART Robo Advice and Spaceship Voyager compare on chess sponsorship?
InvestSMART Robo Advice: Yes (CHESS). Spaceship Voyager: No (custodian). InvestSMART lets you hold assets in your own HIN; Spaceship holds them in its name.
When is InvestSMART Robo Advice the better choice over Spaceship Voyager?
Pick InvestSMART Robo Advice if you want CHESS sponsorship and to hold investments directly in your own HIN; you need SMSF, trust, company or joint account structures; you want access to bonds and managed funds alongside Australian ETFs; or you're investing $10,000 or more and want a flat $880/year fee regardless of balance growth.
When is Spaceship Voyager the better choice over InvestSMART Robo Advice?
Pick Spaceship Voyager if you want to start investing with no minimum deposit — even $1 gets you in; you want US ETFs and fractional shares exposure without dealing with FX spreads on every trade; you prefer a simple custodian model with zero brokerage and a flat $3/month fee; or you want faster withdrawals (1-2 business days) compared to InvestSMART's 4-5 days.
InvestSMART Robo Advice or Spaceship Voyager — what's the verdict?
Choose InvestSMART if you have $10k+ and want CHESS ownership; choose Spaceship if you're starting small and want cheap US exposure.
All data points side-by-side
Every verified fact for both platforms. Differences are highlighted.
| Field | InvestSMART Robo Advice | Spaceship Voyager |
|---|---|---|
| account structure | ||
| CHESS sponsorship model | chess | custodian |
| Individual account | Yes | Yes |
| Joint account | Yes | No |
| Company account | Yes | No |
| Trust account | Yes | No |
| SMSF account | Yes | No |
| Kids / minor account | — | No |
| asset coverage | ||
| ASX shares supported | No | No |
| ASX ETFs supported | Yes | No |
| US shares supported | No | Yes |
| US ETFs supported | No | Yes |
| Other markets supported | AU | |
| Fractional shares (ASX) | — | No |
| Fractional shares (US) | No | Yes |
| Options trading | No | No |
| CFDs supported | No | No |
| Managed funds | Yes | Yes |
| Bonds supported | Yes | No |
| IPO access | No | No |
| costs hidden | ||
| FX spread (AUD/USD) | — | 0.7% |
| Holds USD account | No | No |
| FX currency switch trick | — | No |
| Market data fees | $0/month | $0/month |
| Conditional order fees | — | $0 |
| Phone trade surcharge | — | $0 |
| Corporate action fees | — | Voyager: managed fund structure means corporate actions are handled inside the fund — no investor-level corporate action fees. US Investing: voting and mandatory corporate actions including dividends are free; Voluntary Corporate Actions (VCA) fee of US$100 per action processed. |
| costs visible | ||
| ASX brokerage minimum | — | $0 |
| ASX brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| ASX free trade conditions | — | No brokerage applies to Voyager portfolios; investments are made via unit-trust managed funds with no transactional fees, regardless of order size. |
| US brokerage minimum | — | US$0 |
| US brokerage percentage | — | 0% |
| Monthly platform fee | — | $3/month |
| Annual platform fee | $880/year | $36/year |
| Inactivity fee | — | $0 |
| Withdrawal fee (AUD) | — | $0 |
| Off-market transfer fee | — | $0 |
| identity and trust | ||
| Legal entity name | InvestSMART Funds Management Ltd | Spaceship Capital Limited |
| AFSL number | 246,441 | 501,605 |
| Year founded | 1,999 | 2,017 |
| Parent / ownership | InvestSMART Group Limited (ASX:INV) - publicly listed parent | eToro Group Limited (acquired Spaceship 2024, fully owned subsidiary) |
| Country of incorporation | AU | AU |
| Public company status | public | public |
| money movement | ||
| Minimum initial deposit | $10,000 | $0 |
| Minimum subsequent purchase | $100 | $0 |
| Deposit methods | BPAY, Direct Debit | Direct debit, PayTo |
| Settlement period | T+2 | Voyager: T+1/T+2 unit pricing (managed fund). US Investing: T+1 (US standard). |
| Withdrawal time | 4-5 business days | 1-2 business days from redemption request to funds in available money balance; additional bank transfer time to external account. |
| platform ux | ||
| iOS app | Yes | Yes |
| Android app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop platform | Yes | No |
| Demo account | No | No |
| Free real-time market data | No | No |
| Free research reports | Yes | No |
| 2FA support | optional | SMS + PIN |
| Customer support channels | phone, email, live chat | Email, Phone, Live chat, In-app chat |
| Support hours (AU time) | 9:00am-5:30pm AEST Mon-Fri | Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm Sydney time (business days only) |
| Education content | extensive | basic articles |
| tax and reporting | ||
| Australian tax statement | Yes | Yes |
| Distribution component breakdown | Yes | Yes |
| CGT calculator / report | Yes | Yes |
| Sharesight / Navexa integration | No | No |
| trading mechanics | ||
| Market orders | — | Yes |
| Stop loss orders | — | No |
| Conditional orders | — | No |
| Auto-invest / DCA | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-invest sophistication | basic | weighted |
| DRP (dividend reinvestment) | No | No |
| After-hours / overnight trading | No | No |